


Lovebirds At The Night Owl

by allmyworldsastage



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee Shops, Dialogue Heavy, F/F, F/M, M/M, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 10:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12034005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmyworldsastage/pseuds/allmyworldsastage
Summary: Over the years many people have been to The Night Owl, the little coffee shop just round the corner from the Academy. And so it's no wonder that The Night Owl has many a story to tell."Have you ever walked down market Street in San Francisco? Well, if you have been to San Francisco chances are you’ve also been to Market Street. Maybe you saw me. Maybe you even paid me a visit..."





	Lovebirds At The Night Owl

* * *

 

Have you ever walked down market Street in San Francisco? Well, if you have been to San Francisco chances are you’ve also been to Market Street. Maybe you saw me. Maybe you even paid me a visit. Would you remember if you had? I for once remember every single one of you. I’ve been around for quite a while and there have been more of you than I can count, but I remember you. Because to me you’re all precious and I like you.

Many of you only stop by once. You come in in a hurry, get what you need and are already on your way again. And that’s alright. I’m glad to be of service. It’s my purpose after all. But still, I can’t help but be even gladder when I get to see you again. And I’m happy to say that there are many among you who spend some time with me, who enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a one-time affair or whether you visit regularly. The ones that stay, even if it’s only for a little while, always have a story to tell. And I like listening to your stories.

I’ve seen and heard many things over the years: friendships found, renewed, lost or existing only as long as it takes to drink a cup of coffee; plans made or scrapped; papers and books read or written, started or finished; birthdays celebrated; losses mourned; arguments started or resolved; words left unsaid or finally being spoken. It’s all beautiful in its own way. But I can’t deny that there is one kind of story I prefer over all others: the love story.

I’ve seen many of those in here, too, and you might wonder why, after all this time, they’re still my favourite. I will tell you. It’s because you’re all so very different: from different planets, different species, young or old, happy with your life or still waiting for everything to fall into place, far-travelled through half the galaxy or out of your home town for the first time, members of Starfleet or civilians, artists or scientists, so different. But I find that there is one thing that connects all of you, and that’s love. No matter where you come from, what you’ve been through, where you’re going, every single one of you knows love in one form or another. And if you feel that you don’t, let me assure you that you deserve to and one day you will. Love is the one constant that all of you who come here share. And nothing makes me happier than when you let me be part of your love stories.

That’s why they’re my favourite. Let me tell you about some of them.

 

The first one I remember took place not long after I came into existence. It’s not unusual for me to host cadets from the Academy, but in my early days there was one who stood out. Her name was Uhura and she studied xenolinguistics. She was around quite often, always surrounded by other people, and she happily chatted to all of them in the strangest languages. She had a beautiful voice, too, and one evening, when someone had brought a funny-looking sort of guitar, she suddenly stood in the corner that was sometimes used as a makeshift stage for readings or musical performances, and she sang. She sang about longing for the stars and everyone was transfixed by her. It was almost as if time had stopped. When Uhura had finished her song, the audience needed a few moments to find their way back to reality again and it was silent for a while before people reluctantly returned to their drinks and conversations. One woman needed even longer to recover, though. She was sitting at the counter and still staring at the stage absentmindedly when Uhura stepped towards her. She carefully put a hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Startled out of her thoughts the woman smiled at Uhura.

“Yes quite. It’s just that you have the most beautiful voice.” She lowered her eyes, suddenly embarrassed. “And I love that song.”

“Well, thank you,” Uhura beamed. “Longing for the stars, huh. So, are you in Starfleet, too?”

“No, I’m training to be a nurse. Christine Chapel.” She shyly looked up again.

“Nyota Uhura.”

It was the first time I heard Uhura tell anyone her given name, and that night Nyota’s and Christine’s eyes kept saying what their mouths were not yet quite ready to put into words.

I like to think they were happy during the next couple of months. They certainly seemed to be the few times they paid me a visit. Until the last time I saw them, that is. Then, both their eyes and their mouths spoke of sad things.

“You okay, Christine? You seem a bit down,” Nyota said as soon as she had sat down next to her girlfriend and greeted her with a kiss to the cheek.

Christine kept her eyes fixed on the table and instead of eating the cookie on her plate she crumbled it between her fingers.

“I’ve been offered a position in Dr. Korby’s research team,” she finally muttered.

“Oh.” Nyota swallowed hard. “When will you be leaving?”

“I’m not even sure I’m going to take it yet.”

Nyota grabbed Christine by the shoulders and put a finger under her chin so that Christine had to look at her.

“Of course you’re going to take it. It’s what you’ve wanted for ages.”

“But I _don’t_ want to leave you.” Christine blinked a few times trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

“I know, honey. I don’t want you to leave either. But we both knew this day would come. In less than a year I’ll be assigned to a starship. We always knew that we would have to part ways one day. At least for a while.”

Christine nodded.

“I know. I just didn’t think it would be so hard.”

“Neither did I.” Nyota snuggled into Christine when she put an arm around her shoulder.

“We’ll write,” Christine said after a long silence.

“Sure.”

“And who knows, maybe we’ll end up working in transporter range of each other someday.”

Nyota looked up.

“Christine?”

“M-hm?”

“Can we just not think about the future tonight?”

“Of course. You wanna go?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

They left arm in arm and that was the last time I saw Nyota Uhura and Christine Chapel.

 

I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why I’m telling you this story, why I like it so much when its protagonists weren’t even able to stay together. But you see, not every love story lasts a life time. And not every love story should. It can still be beautiful for as long as it does last, and I find it beautiful that the two of them found each other right here.

You know what, though? Nyota Uhura and Christine Chapel did get their happy ending for Christine was right with her hopeful look into the future. The two of them did end up working not only in transporter range of each other but even on the same starship. I don’t know whether they got back together again, but I listened to their friends talk about them. And I know they were happy.

 

Those friends, they came from that same starship. She must have been quite impressive, the Enterprise. And some of the people serving on that ship must have been equally impressive. Quite a few of them were mentioned so often that I got the impression of them being outright famous.

There was certainly an astonished silence followed by excited whispers the day Captain Kirk stepped inside. People obviously recognised him and he returned their friendly smiles and greetings before he ordered coffee and Vulcan spice tea and sat down. Only moments later the process was repeated when Spock joined his captain.

“Over here, Spock,” Kirk greeted him. “I took the liberty of getting you some tea already.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Kirk frowned at him and after a moment a corner of Spock’s mouth twitched and he regarded Kirk with an almost half-smile on his face.

“Jim,” he amended softly and his very few words and his sparse facial expressions conveyed more emotion than I’ve ever seen in any other Vulcan’s demeanour. I have no idea whether that was because he was part human or simply because he was with Jim Kirk.

Kirk for his part beamed openly at Spock and just seemed happy to be here.

“I still can’t quite believe that everything is back to normal, that we’re going back to space. Together,” he said.

“I assume it is safe to say that fortune _did_ the hell favour the foolish in this instance,” Spock deadpanned and Kirk laughed and then just looked at him for a long moment.

“I missed you, Spock.”

“I too am glad to once more share your company.”

After that they mainly talked about going to space again. Apparently Kirk had been demoted from Admiral to Captain recently and that meant he could once again command a starship which seemed to be all he wanted. As long as Spock was aboard with him. They spoke highly of their crew, of their family, and that was when I learned that Nyota Uhura and Christine Chapel had both been part of that tight group of friends on the Enterprise once. It did not yet seem to be certain who exactly would be part of Kirk’s next crew or even what ship they would be assigned but neither he nor Spock seemed to mind. Their main cause for celebration and excitement was that they would be serving together again. And to be honest, after everything I had heard about the two of them before and with what I saw now, I couldn’t imagine them apart from each other. They were a natural fit, so at ease and in tune with each other. It was there for everyone to see, in their bodies they unconsciously angled towards each other, in their smiles, in the glances they exchanged. I can’t explain it much better, but there simply was this sense of togetherness, closeness and connection the two of them resonated with.

“We’ve wasted so much time over the years,” Kirk finally mused after a stretch of silence.

“Maybe we should try and make up for some of that lost time,” Spock replied and slid his hand over the table with his index and middle finger extended. Kirk mirrored the gesture and with a smile touched their fingers to each other.

“That’s a very human thing of you to say, Spock,” he said and then intertwined their hands.

“Your bad influence is finally rubbing off on me, ashayam.”

 

You know what? If there really are parallel universes out there, like I’ve heard scientists talk about, I guarantee you, in each and every single one of them Jim Kirk and Spock find each other, they have to. They belong together, no matter the circumstances.

However, in the same way their love story is inevitable, sometimes nothing goes the way you want to or hope for or plan.

 

Surely you remember the area in the corner we used as a stage. Well, sometimes a couple of more chairs and tables were cleared away creating enough space for proper dancing. One night, when a particularly popular band played some jazzy tunes that let no-one sit still, a young man I’ve already seen once or twice brought along a beautiful woman. He was completely infatuated with her and I suspect he chose that particular night because of the music and the opportunity of a dance. The woman clearly not only loved dancing but was also very talented.

“Come on, Jean-Luc, loosen up a little,” she laughed and he did his best to keep up with the quick succession of her steps. He didn’t do too badly either but he still looked a little relieved when the band took a break and they could head over to the counter to order some drinks.

“You were right. I needed the break and this is great,” the woman said and clinked her glass to Jean-Luc’s.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Beverly. Thank you for coming with me tonight.”

“No, no. Thank _you_ for being such a good friend and dragging me out. This is so much better than quizzing my roommate on Klingon anatomy again. And I love dancing.”

“I know you do. That’s why-“ But Jean-Luc was interrupted because a small group of people joined them and a man in a cadet’s uniform clapped him on the shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing here, Jean-Luc? I thought you couldn’t stand this sort of event.”

Beverly raised her eyebrows, amusement clearly visible on her face, while Jean-Luc cleared his throat.

“Hello, Jack. What a surprise. I thought you wanted to go and see the game.”

“Yeah, well, that was boring. Who’s your friend?” Jack asked and smiled at Beverly.

“Oh, excuse me,” Jean-Luc said. “Allow me to introduce you: Beverly Howard, medical student, Jack Crusher, he’s a very good friend of mine and we share several classes.”

“Nice to meet you,” Beverly said and extended her hand which, instead of shaking, Jack took in his own before he bowed down and very gently pressed his lips to her knuckles.

“Enchanté!” he said and Beverly blushed.

“First me, now him. You clearly have excellent taste in friends, Jean-Luc,” she chuckled and Jean-Luc gave her a strained smile he quickly hid behind his glass.

Jack and his friends joined them for the rest of the night. They drank and talked and laughed and had fun together. To me it was obvious that Jean-Luc hadn’t expected this evening to go quite that way. Unseen by anyone he smiled sadly at Beverly who clearly gravitated towards Jack, but when Jack dragged her to the dance floor and Beverly gave Jean-Luc a thumbs up and a wide grin he returned the gesture and his face lit up a little. These people were his friends and he obviously cared a great deal about them. He seemed pleased that they were happy and excited and he shook his head once before he took a deep breath and turned to the rest of their group in order to find out what they were currently talking about.

 

One love lost and one found, you might say. But actually I’m telling you this story because it’s much more about friendship than about romantic love and that’s equally beautiful and equally important. Of course, if the two of them come together, something very powerful can emerge. I knew a couple like that once.

 

For more than a year Deanna Troi and Will Riker dropped by ever so often. They were thick as thieves, extremely supportive but not afraid to call each other out on their bullshit. There was bantering and talk about everything and nothing, just between the two of them or among friends, just as often as they silently enjoyed their togetherness. I’ve seldom seen two people being so intimate with each other without actually displaying their bond all too openly. It often took people quite a while to realise that they were not only friends but an _item_ as Riker liked to put it flippantly which always made Deanna roll her eyes. They were fun to have around.     

I knew something was up, though, when Riker was unusually silent and lost in thought one quiet afternoon. Deanna busied herself with her chocolate cake for a while before she finally nudged Riker with her elbow.

“What is it, Will?” she asked.

He looked up, almost surprised to see her there.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been brooding all day. Is something wrong?”

Riker sighed.

“It’s just that I don’t like the fact that in only a month I’ll be stationed God knows where and that you’ll be right here for another couple of years. The closer my graduation is coming the more I dread it because it inevitably also means leaving you behind.”

“Ah,” Deanna said and she put down her fork and pushed her empty plate away. “But you said it yourself. It’s inevitable. We both chose a career with Starfleet despite being aware of the possible downsides.”

“I know. But does that mean I can’t be angry about it?”

“Of course you can be angry. I’m not happy about it either.”

Riker smiled at that and put an arm around Deanna’s shoulder.

“All the more reason to make the most of this last month or so you’re spending here with me,” she continued.

“Yes, of course. But what about after that?”

“Well, depending on the assignment you get now and the one I get when I graduate we won’t be seeing each other for at least two years, likely more.”

Riker scoffed.

“How can you be so calm about that?” he asked.

“Because there’s nothing we can do about it.”

It took Riker a while to respond to that.

“There’s one thing we could do,” he finally said.

“Don’t go there, Will,” Deanna pleaded.

“I think I have to, Deanna. I can imagine what you’re going to say and I’ll accept it, of course, but I don’t think I can do that without actually asking.”

“I understand.”

“Thank you,” Riker said and took a deep breath. “So, if the two of us were married we’d have every right to be assigned to the same ship or space station or whatever. Is that something you’d want? Would you marry me, Deanna?”

Deanna smiled at him but her eyes were sad.

“You know that I love you, Will, but I can’t do that. Not now. I’m working so hard for my degree and, just like you, I want to be the best Starfleet officer possible. I can’t have my career depending on where my husband is assigned to and that would most likely be the case with you being the more experienced officer out of the two of us. I want to be useful. I want to have my first assignment where I’m really needed. And I think I can only achieve that on my own. For now.”  

“Yeah,” Riker said. “I thought that’s what you might say. And I understand. I really do.”

“I’m glad you do.”

Deanna put her head on Riker’s shoulder and they fell silent.

“You know that I’ll always love you, right,” Deanna said after a while. “And that we’ll always be friends.”

“Yes, I know. Maybe, someday in the future, we’ll be at a point where we both want the same thing. At the same time.”

Deanna chuckled.

“That would be nice.”

“Until then, making the most out of the next couple of weeks?”

“Starting right now,” she said and kissed him.

 

It really was a pity that timing just wasn’t right for these two, but like them I’m hopeful that they met again and found their deep connection once more. It’s the kind of thing I’ve seen happening right here.

 

As I said, some people come here only once, including a very memorable woman. I don’t think I could ever forget her.  I don’t think anyone who spends more than five minutes in the same room with her could ever forget her. She was an astounding presence. Funnily enough, her companion, a doctor from Starfleet’s Medical department, seemed to be quite unimpressed with her. I think that’s why the two of them caught my attention when they walked in, ordered something to drink and chose a table. The strange woman stood out, people noticed her and I had no doubt that she would be capable of catching all of the other guests’ full attention in no time. They’d probably be intimidated were they faced with her scrutinising look. Not so, however, Dr Pulaski. She just raised an eyebrow and said,

“Well, Lwaxana, your detailed account of Betazoid weddings and their less commonly known rituals certainly brought those post-meeting drinks to a quick end. If I didn’t have so many weird images stuck in my head right now I’d probably thank you.”

“Oh, Katherine, dear, you’re enjoying yourself tremendously. Don’t try to deny it.”

Dr Pulaski only smiled at that and drank from her coffee. So, Lwaxana continued to speak,

“You know, you humans are so easily embarrassed, especially those uptight admirals from Starfleet. They’re no fun.”

“You tell me,” Katherine chuckled. “I’m the one who has to deal with them on a daily basis.”

“Yes. I was actually surprised to see you on Earth. I thought you were still on the Enterprise.”

“Oh well. I traded places with her former CMO again. She belonged with Headquarters as little as I belonged with that ship. So, I’m back here dealing with the earth-bound Starfleet personnel you find so boring.”

Katherine shrugged and the hint of a grin appeared on Lwaxana’s face.

“You know,” she said. “They’re not _all_ boring. _You_ , for instance, are a pleasant exception.”

There was silence for a few moments, but both women looked at each other as if they were still somehow conversing. They seemed to be so very comfortable with each other that I began to wonder how far back they went.

“So,” Dr Pulaski finally said. “Obviously there are several more meetings scheduled for the next few days. But how long will you stay exactly?”

“Actually, I’ll only be leaving sometime next week. My ambassadorial duties will take me to Vulcan next and I’ve organised for transport on a Vulcan science vessel that is supposed to drop some passengers off at the Academy before it returns home.”

Katherine smiled.

“Any plans for the weekend then?” she asked.

Lwaxana propped her chin on her hands.

“As you can imagine, Doctor,” she said, “I received several invitations to various social functions.”

“Care for one more?”

“Depends.”

“Remember that road trip we took years and years ago?”

Lwaxana looked down into her tea for some time as if she could actually see the memories on the liquid’s surface. Then she looked back up at Katherine.

“How could I forget?! That was an extraordinary summer. Lots of weird places, we’ve met some interesting people…” Lwaxana shook her head in disbelief.

“My favourite place was that beach, though, where there was no-one but the two of us,” Katherine replied equally lost in memories.

“Mine too,” Lwaxana agreed smiling.

“I was hoping you’d say that. I could get my hands on a house at that beach for the weekend.”

Lwaxana looked up at her in surprise.

“A house? What happened to sleeping right under the stars?”

“Don’t you think we’re a little too old for that?” Katherine chuckled.

“Doesn’t feel like it at the moment.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t. Anyway, what do you say? A weekend of reviving the feel of that summer?”

“A weekend of behaving just as young as we’re feeling?”

Katherine nodded and Lwaxana’s smile turned into a wicked grin.

“Oh, I like where you’re going with your thoughts, dear.”

Katherine had the decency to blush a little. I must have been right with my assumption of them somehow communicating silently. At the very least Lwaxana seemed to be able to pick up on thoughts and emotions from others. It was only then that I made the connection between that and the earlier talk about Betazoid traditions. Apparently, Lwaxana was from Betazed and therefore telepathic. I briefly wondered whether she was somehow able to sense my presence, whether she was aware of all the memories and stories I had accumulated over time. But I never got to know because Lwaxana spoke again.

“Maybe the house isn’t such a bad idea after all,” she mused. “Privacy, beds and all that.”

Katherine rolled her eyes good-humouredly.

“You have not changed. At all.”

“I think we both have,” Lwaxana replied with a little sigh that was quickly followed by another smile. “But it’s nice to know that together we’re still the same.”

Of course I don’t know what Lwaxana and Katherine did during that summer long ago or what they did end up doing on that weekend in the house by the beach, but my guess is that it involved lots of fun and passion. I believe their love wasn’t one where neither could live without the other. Where there was hurt when the other wasn’t around. Theirs was a love that simply _was_ when they were together. No matter where or when or how much time had passed before they met again, when they were with each other there was love, and when they were apart there were fond memories and their own lives that needed living.

I can relate to that because in a way I’m like that, too. I love all of you when you’re here with me and I remember you fondly when you’re gone.

 

I have to admit, though, that there are a few among you who rank among my favourites. One of them is Kathryn Janeway. She first came to me when she was a new cadet at Starfleet Academy. During the following years she spent lots of time here and her presence always felt like being with a friend. She even came to say good-bye before she set off for the stars.

Almost thirty years went by before I saw her again. She had changed over the years; she seemed quieter, surer of herself. Her demeanour had changed from someone who had been ready to take the world, to discover the universe and make it hers, to someone who had seen a lot, maybe too much for a single person, someone who had shouldered responsibilities others wouldn’t even be able to imagine. And she seemed ready to let go of at least some of the wanderlust from her early years, to settle for something other than the vastness of space.

Kathryn sat with her coffee and was waiting for someone. I was surprised to see the woman she was meeting up with for I knew her. It was Beverly Crusher whom I first got to know when her name had still been Howard.

“Hello Kathryn,” she said. “Sorry I’m late. I had some pressing communiques that couldn’t wait.”

“Don’t worry. If there’s one thing I’ve got in abundance right now it’s time.”

Beverly raised an eyebrow at that but waited until Kathryn had got her a cup of lemon tea and another coffee for herself before she asked,

“So, were you just bored or was there a specific reason why you couldn’t wait to see me till after the end of my work day?”

She accompanied her words with a smile signalling that they weren’t meant to sting, and Kathryn answered the remark with that half-grin of hers. It was one of the things that hadn’t changed over the last thirty years.

“I’d like to get back to duty,” Kathryn then worded her reason for asking Beverly to come.

“Do you hear your desk calling for you, _Admiral_?”

“Somehow, my captain’s chair always called louder.” There was a hint of resentment in Kathryn’s voice.

“Are you having second thoughts about accepting your promotion?”

Kathryn sighed.

“No, not really,” she said. “I’d still like to stick around for a while. It’s just that I’m starting to go crazy with all that free time on my hands. I need to get back to work.”

Beverly grinned.

“If Admiralty turns out to be too boring you can always get yourself demoted again, just like Kirk.”

“You know, Beverly, when I told you it would have been amazing to serve on the first Enterprise with Kirk and that he was a captain one could learn from I didn’t mean I would want to do everything just like him.”

“Fair enough.”

Kathryn looked at Beverly expectantly.

“So?” she asked after a minute.

“So what?”

“Will you clear me for duty? That’s your job, isn’t it?”

“It is and I’d like to. But, as far as I know, your final psychological evaluation is still missing from your medical file.”

Kathryn scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine.”

“Well,” Beverly said carefully. “I certainly don’t doubt that you’re fit for duty, but I can’t let you get back to work before you’ve gone through the complete medical examination. And as you know the psychological evaluation is part of that. It’s protocol.”

“Yes, I know,” Kathryn acknowledged, but she rolled her eyes nonetheless.

“You know, if you feel uncomfortable talking to a complete stranger I can ask Deanna to do it. You’ve met her and she’s done the counselling for several of your crew anyway. She already has a pretty good idea about what you’ve been through.”

Kathryn made a nondescript noise.

“Does it help when I tell you that I trust Deanna implicitly?” Beverly asked.

“And I trust you, Beverly,” Kathryn replied. “Since Voyager’s return I’ve come to think of you as a friend and I’ve told you so much already. Can’t you just do the damn evaluation yourself?”

“I don’t think that would be appropriate.”

“What, because we’re friends?”

“I also don’t have the necessary psychological training.”

“But enough of it to perform the exam. I’ve looked it up,” Kathryn snapped.

Beverly sighed.

“What is it?” Kathryn asked with a much softer voice caused by the pained expression on Beverly’s face. She slid her hand over the table wanting to touch Beverly, but Beverly quickly curled her hands around her cup. Kathryn withdrew her hand.

“Beverly?”

Beverly said nothing for a moment, apparently pondering on something and finally coming to a decision.

“As head of Starfleet Medical I might be the one who signs the PADD that clears you for duty, Kathryn. But I really shouldn’t perform _any_ of the exams. Not anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m falling for you, Kathryn. I’m emotionally compromised.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. Oh.”

Kathryn reached over the table again, peeled Beverly’s hands off her cup and held them in their own.

“When can I talk to Deanna?”

Beverly looked at her, smiling hesitantly.

“I’ll call her as soon as I get back to the office.”

“Good. And would you come over for dinner tonight?” Kathryn stroked Beverly’s knuckles with her thumb.

“You’re not cooking, though, are you?” Beverly asked turning her smile into a mischievous grin.

“I’ll let you handle the replicator. Or we can get take-out,” Kathryn promised.

“Then I’d love to.”

 

Kathryn Janeway and Beverly Crusher got married three years later. In case you’re wondering how I could possibly know that, once again, I heard others talk about it. It’s really amazing how so many of you that come and visit me are connected to each other in one way or another. The galaxy seems to be quite small, especially in San Francisco. So many of you are somehow acquainted and I’m not sure whether you realise that I am something you have in common. I won’t complain, though. I like hearing you talk about each other. It gives me an opportunity to learn what has become of you.

 

And I learned of Kathryn’s approaching wedding from friends of hers who came with a love story of their own. Although, _friends_ doesn’t seem to be a word that’s strong enough to describe the bond between Kathryn Janeway and the couple with a child that burst into the shop one afternoon laughing and chatting happily despite the stormy weather and the rain outside that had most of my other guests that day in not particularly high spirits. But whatever the appropriate word for their connection might be – friendship, family, love – they were definitely close and shared a lot of history.

“Why couldn’t we stay longer at Aunt Kathryn’s?” the little girl asked. She was maybe three or four years old and carried a stuffed targ in one hand and a model starship in the other.

“Because she has lots of work to do, Miral. We’ll visit her again soon,” her mother explained while they occupied a table in a cosy corner.

Her father joined them with several cups and a plate full of cookies. Miral let her targ sniff the cookies and then she tried to dip him into her cup. Her father was just able to grab the stuffed animal before its head disappeared under the hot chocolate’s surface.

“ _You_ are supposed to drink the cocoa, love. I’m pretty sure targs don’t even like it.”

“Mine does,” Miral disagreed, but put her toy down anyway.

“Stubborn as her mother,” her father murmured and his wife nudged him with her elbow.

“Hey!” she protested but was distracted when Miral now let her starship drop into her cup and hot chocolate splashed all over the table.

“I’ll get some napkins,” the father said and stood.

“Thanks Tom.” The mother turned to her daughter. “That ship is supposed to fly, not swim, you know.”

“I know. But it’s really stupid to call it a ship then.”

“It’s called a ship because it sails among the stars,” Tom said and fished the ship out of the cup to dry it.

“But don’t you need wind for sailing?” Miral asked. “I don’t think there is any wind in space.”

Tom looked at his daughter with a mixture of pride and amusement.

“So, how does it work?” she asked.

“How does what work?”

“A starship.”

Tom blinked several times.

“I think mommy can explain that much better than me. Right, B’Elanna?”

His wife gave him an incredulous look, but she ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair.

“Sure, I’ll explain it to you. But let’s do this when we get home so that I can show you some pictures. Okay?”

Miral nodded.

“Yes, okay,” she agreed, accepted a piece of paper and a pen from her mother and started drawing a starship.

“Aunt Kathryn will be delighted that her present elicited such an inquisitive reaction,” Tom chuckled.

“Oh yes, she will be. I’m going to make sure that Miral has some nice questions for her, too, when we see her next time. Maybe something about time travel,” B’Elanna answered.

“That’s evil,” Tom laughed.

“I’m pretty sure Kathryn will be able to cope.”

“Yeah,” Tom replied thoughtfully and both of them fell silent for a few moments before he added, “I still can’t believe our Captain is getting married. Have you ever seen her this happy?”

B’Elanna shook her head.

“I don’t think so. There were very few moments back when we were on Voyager where she was sort of happy. But she’s never been this…free.”

“Dr Crusher certainly seems to be good for her.”

“She told us to call her Beverly, remember?”

“It’s hard enough to call the Captain, the Admiral I mean, Kathryn.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Tom. We’ve known her for years, she’s not our commanding officer anymore, she’s our friend, family even, considering that she’s Miral’s godmother and that she married us.”

“Oh yes, that was nice, wasn’t it.” Tom smiled at the memory and took B’Elanna’s hand in his own.

“Yes, it was,” B’Elanna agreed softly.

“You know, back then I wouldn’t have dared to dream of this,” Tom said.

“How do you mean?”

“This,” he said again and gestured around their table. “Us being back on Earth, sitting in a coffee shop instead of the mess hall, being a proper family. It’s so normal. And I love it.”

“Yeah. Me too.” B’Elanna smiled at Tom and opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by her daughter.

“Done,” Miral announced and shoved her drawing over the table towards her parents. The starship was now surrounded by several stars and planets and three passengers had boarded.

“Wow, that’s great!” Tom exclaimed. “That us?” he asked and pointed at the stick figures behind the ship’s windows.

“Yes,” Miral nodded. “And I’ve got the biggest room and am in the front because I’m the captain.”

“Of course you are,” Tom said laughing.

B’Elanna took the picture and looked at it carefully.

“It’s a lovely drawing, Miral. Do you think there would be room for one more passenger aboard the ship, though?”

“That depends,” Miral mused. “Who would the other passenger be?”

“Yeah, I’m wondering, too,” Tom chimed in.

“A little brother or sister?” B’Elanna suggested and Miral’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Oh, that would be so great. They could be my captain’s assistant. But they would need their own room. And we’d need somewhere to play.” Miral frowned. “I think I have to construct a bigger ship. Do you have more paper?”

“Sure.” B’Elanna gave her daughter another piece of paper and watched her draw the outline for another bigger ship before she looked at her husband.

“Really?” Tom asked hesitantly.

“Really,” B’Elanna nodded and only then Tom’s face lit up in a radiant smile.

“That’s amazing. I’m so happy!” He shuffled his chair closer to B’Elanna’s so that he could kiss her.

“Irgh. Mom. Dad,” Miral protested after a little while.

Grinning Tom retreated but kept his arm around B’Elanna’s shoulders.

“What? I’m just excited that you’re going to be a big sister soon,” he explained.

Miral smiled at her parents.

“Me too,” she said.

 

See? I’ve witnessed all kinds of love stories, their beginnings, endings, pauses and continuations, love between families, couples, and friends. And the ones I just told you are only a few examples, some of the ones I hold dearest. You’re all so different, but still share so many things, are so interconnected. And it can all be traced back to one simple feeling. Don’t you think that’s beautiful? I know I do.

Maybe you should drop by and see for yourself. Have a cup of coffee and watch the stories unfold around you. Let me be a small part of your own story. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be remembering you and that part of your narrative that is connected with me.

 

 

 


End file.
